Poll watchers dispatched to observe data entry<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Amid rumors of election fraud following the poor
\ntransmission of election results from polling places to the
\nelection data center, a poll watchdog decided on Friday to
\ndispatch its volunteers to data entry places in regencies
\nnationwide.<\/p>\n
Rectors Forum executive director Sudjana Sapi'ie told a media
\nconference at the Joint Operations Media Center (JOMC) the
\nvolunteers would be stationed at regency branch offices of Bank
\nBNI and Bank Rakyat Indonesia to monitor the data entry process.<\/p>\n
\"We knew about the data entry procedure only last week. We'll
\nsoon dispatch our volunteers to branch offices of Bank BNI and
\nBRI to observe the process,\" he said.<\/p>\n
BNI and BRI are state-owned banks and have branches and online
\ncomputer systems in regencies across the country.<\/p>\n
Poll officials at both banks' branch offices will key in the
\npoll results, hierarchically sent from the local polling places
\nto the district election committees and then transmitted
\nelectronically to provincial election committees.<\/p>\n
There have been persistent reports of vote counting glitches
\nat the local level in the past few days. The General Elections
\nCommission (KPU), however, dismissed speculations the slow
\ntallying of poll results was politically motivated, and insisted
\nthe delay was caused by technical problems.<\/p>\n
Sudjana said the slow tallying could have been influenced by
\nthe organizational structure of the KPU, whose members are
\nrepresentatives of political parties contesting the election and
\nthe government.<\/p>\n
\"In the future, the general election should be organized by a
\nnonpartisan and nongovernment institution only.<\/p>\n
\"Party representatives at the KPU obviously have their own
\nvested interests and will strive to achieve their own parties'
\ntarget,\" Sudjana said.<\/p>\n
He recalled that KPU members were not prompt to perform their
\nallotted tasks during the election campaigning, as they were busy
\nparticipating in the campaign. \"A lot of administrative tasks
\nwere delayed until the last minute.\"<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, statistician Robert K. Sembiring confirmed the
\nforum's difficulty in honoring an earlier promise that it would
\nannounce its complete election monitoring results two days after
\nthe June 7 election.<\/p>\n
\"We've used relatively sophisticated equipment to conduct the
\nmonitoring and tabulation. Yet there have been some obstacles
\nencountered in the process,\" Sembiring said, without elaborating.<\/p>\n
\"I must say that I sympathize with the KPU for its slow
\ntallying of poll results,\" he added.<\/p>\n
He said as of Friday afternoon, the forum could only provide a
\nrepresentative evaluation in 11 provinces, or about 58 percent of
\nthe overall vote.<\/p>\n
\"We only have complete data of election results in the 11
\nprovinces. We do not have the courage to reveal the results in
\nother provinces, where we do not have sufficient data.\" (imn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/poll-watchers-dispatched-to-observe-data-entry-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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